


An Ocean Filled With Photographs and Names

by Chaotic_Librarian



Category: Polygon/McElroy Vlogs & Podcasts RPF
Genre: M/M, universe hopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22477876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaotic_Librarian/pseuds/Chaotic_Librarian
Summary: During the last leg of their universe hopping, Brian and Pat find themselves in perhaps the calmest setting yet.
Relationships: Brian David Gilbert/Patrick Gill
Comments: 6
Kudos: 68





	An Ocean Filled With Photographs and Names

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Restricted Work] by [poppyseedheart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/poppyseedheart/pseuds/poppyseedheart). Log in to view. 



> In addition to reading every city was a gift, I was also inspired by some things you will remember by QueenModryth and decided to create my own little universe-hopping scenario.
> 
> As an aspiring librarian who has worked in a high school library, I decided to work with what I know.
> 
> Like QueenModryth's work, this piece doesn't have a definitive place in the original timeline, but it is referencing when Pat was a successful author, and also the affection between them puts it after they reveal their feelings for each other.
> 
> Also, this was haphazardly written in the middle of the night, so let me know about spelling mistakes or sentence structure mishaps.
> 
> The title is taken from Perfect By Design by NateWantsToBattle

When Brian opens his eyes, he’s in a place that’s quiet. Weird, because his body knows that he’s not at home. He’s in public,  _ at work _ , but it’s too quiet. If he focuses, he can hear the shuffling of pages. Books, he’s surrounded by books. Looking around, Brian sees he’s in an office landscape not unlike the familiar Polygon office, but the windows don’t look outside, they look into a space with shelves upon shelves of books.

_ He’s a librarian _ , Brian realizes. But where is he? The layout is too nondescript to give him even an approximate estimate of his whereabouts. Standing from his desk, Brian shuffles out into the library, seeing a few kids, maybe high school age,  _ definitely high school age _ , sitting in chairs and couches throughout the parts of the library he can see.

He doesn’t see Pat. It sends a pang of worry into his stomach, but he can tell it doesn’t feel like he’s far away. There’s no longing or aching from this Brian, and when he thinks of Pat, fleeting memories of picnics and game nights and candlelit dinners appear before him.

The silver around his ring finger is warm and feels like it belongs there. Brian hears it clink against the metal handle on the cart of books he brings with him to put back onto the shelves. The squeaky wheel and the rattle of the baskets make him smile, this Brian clearly loving his job.

He works on autopilot as he returns the books to their original places, but freezes into place when he spots a familiar-looking book.  Legacy of Dust , the book Pat had written in an earlier universe. The cover says Patrick Gilbert, and Brian has to let the Brian of this universe tell him if it’s written by his brother or his husband. Memories of secret kisses, tender nights, and unspeakable deeds that put a blush on his cheeks give him the answer he needs as he places the book where it belongs. He hesitates at the last second and takes the book back off the shelf, bringing it with him back to the counter.

When the cart is empty, Brian pushes it back towards the counter, wincing at the rattles and squeaks that erupt from it, hoping he doesn’t draw too much attention to himself as he checks the book out to himself. But the classes have ended and a metaphorical pile of students enters the library, filling the empty spaces with chatter and footsteps. Hurrying behind the counter, Brian prepares to help if any of them seek him out. He can feel his shoulders tense a little, hoping he won’t make a line. Luckily, the library seems to be located in the middle of the school, as most students pass through from one entrance to the opposite quickly, leaving only a few stragglers behind.

Brian looks at his computer for a second, before a body in front of the counter catches his attention.

“Hey,” Pat says. “Wanna grab lunch?” He asks, smiling at Brian as if this is something they do every day. Maybe it is. It feels natural to nod, and Brian makes sure the other librarian knows he’s leaving before he follows Pat into the cafeteria. They purchase lunch without any hassle before settling in the back of the teacher's lounge, all on autopilot whilst chatting with Pat's coworkers.

They settle across from each other and begin to eat, neither man saying anything for a few minutes. Finally, Pat breaks the silence.

"What would possess me into becoming a literature teacher?"

"Being a successful author, perhaps," Brian quips with a smile. "Apparently you also took my last name," he shows Pat the book he had checked out. Apparently, Pat is as surprised as he was, if the raised eyebrows were anything to go by.

"So that's why they called me Mr. Gilbert." Pat opens the book and looks at the author's biography inside the dust jacket, quickly glossing over the details. Brian watches him, the weird lighting of the lounge coupled with the off-putting color of the furniture just framing Pat’s beauty even more. Brian couldn’t even tell which Brian was thinking that, nor could he tell which of them made the decision to reach out and take Pat’s hand in his own.

“A librarian, huh?” Pat smiles at Brian. “Why?” Their voices are quiet, even though the other teachers are far away. They don’t need to attract any more attention to themselves than they are already.

Brian, the one that’s hopping universes, doesn’t really have an answer. Luckily, he can open his mouth and expect this world’s Brian to give the answer for him.

“Someone I know really got me into reading when we were in high school together. Some of their writing made me want to share literature and be a distributor of knowledge. Your writing, your characters that felt so lifelike. I wanted to be in contact with more literature like that.” His answer surprises himself, Brian realizes, and he leans back with a smile.

Pat nods slowly. "You never told me my writing was what made you change course," and it's this Pat that speaks, Brian realizes, not  _ his Pat _ . But that's okay, he finds, because the smile in his voice and on his lips is so very all types of Pat that Brian can't help but reach up and cup his chin, his thumb gently caressing Pat's cheek.

Their lunch break ends without any big revelations, and Pat pulls Brian into a kiss before they move out of their corner, fingers entwined until they reach the door to the library, where they part ways. Brian can't stop smiling.

Even if they keep universe hopping, he hopes more of them are like this one.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and as always, kudos and comments are always super appreciated!


End file.
